How The Three Original Witches And Their Impact On US History

“The Three Original Witches” and Their Impact on U.S. History

Emily Wright

Jason Thomason

6th Period DC U.S. History

March 31, 2023

“The Three Original Witches” and Their Impact on U.S. History Many have heard of the Salem Witch Trials. However, few know of the original people accused, how it became infamous, and its full extent. The well-known details of the Salem Witch Trails are nostalgic history. Many think of TV shows and movies rather than historic facts. Therefore, there is an obvious lack of detailed education surrounding this historical event. In the early months of 1692, the village of Salem, Massachusetts and surrounding areas descended into hysteria. Three girls were accused of witchcraft and interrogated by authorities.

As they continued this, fits became a problem: screaming, body contorting, etc. At the time, this could not be explained by medical findings. Therefore, it was blamed on the supernatural. A “witch cake” was made as a possible cure to extract the illness from the children. This infuriated the father, and he pushed his girls, Abigail and Betty, to put forward their so-called “tormenter.” They pointed out three people that they claimed to have been bewitched by: Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborne. These women were all considered marginalized in their community; they also did not attend church. The next day, on March 1, two magistrates went to inquire about the women. All three tried to plead for their innocence in the situation. However, after constant integration, the slave Tituba confessed. She told them that she had been visited by and made a deal with the devil. When she had signed the devil’s book, she saw the names of Osborne and Good along with exactly seven others she couldn’t remember. The magistrates took this confession as evidence for not just Tituba but also Osborne and Good as

Additionally, many public law figures began claiming their errors. The issue is: the damage had already been done. In order to pay tribute and “repent” from their roles in the tragedy, the General Court of Massachusetts announced a day of contemplation and fasting. There was also compensation provided to the families of the victims, approximately £600.

Now for the legacy of this historical event. Its main impact affects the court system and its procedures. The Salem Witch Trials were based on seemingly baseless accusations. The court system at the time was underdeveloped and very flawed.

As a result of the Salem Witch Trials, there were multiple improvements made to the court procedures. Because one could be sentenced by someone simply accusing them, with no viable proof, there were lots of random, petty accusations as aforementioned. The first of these corrections was the right to legal representation. When one was accused of witchcraft, there was no opportunity for their side of the story to be told or represented. Next: the right to cross-examine the accuser; before The Salem Witch Trials, the accuser had no responsibility or consequence to their accusation. They only had to lie once freely, not under oath or with the full-fledged weight of their words. Lastly, it was the beginning of the thought “innocent until proven guilty.” This meant that there had to be solid proof to support,